Yachts arrive for world race

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 33

Yachts arrive for world race

PA Wellington With just three days until the start of the Whitbread Round the World yacht race, the two New Zealand ketches have dealt with a late challenge to their eligibility and will leave the Solent on Saturday as strong favourites for the 33,000 nautical mile circumnavigation. Peter Blake’s Steinlager 2 is now moored at Town Quay in Southampton ready for the start at 1215 hrs on Saturday (2315 N.Z. time). The crew tested the modified rigging of the mizzen mast yesterday and Blake described the final sea trial as “highly successful".

Grant Dalton’s . Fisher & Paykel crew are completing their modifications at a yard on the Isle of Wight and have been given permission by race organisers to delay their arrival until this afternoon. The third Bruce Farr-de-signed ketch, the Swedish entry The Card, had also been given dispensation to arrive after yesterday’s deadline.

The three ketches were subject to an eleventh hour change of mind by the ruling authority which decreed only last Saturday that the forestay system on the aft mizzen mast of the yachts did not comply. “Right up until Friday of last week we were being told by the organisers that our interpretation of the regulations was correct,” Blake said. "However, on Saturday we were officially advised that we would need to change.” Blake said Steinlager 2 was measured by the appointed

rating official in New Zealand before it left for England and it had been measured again by the British. Each time it was judged correct. “Then the American measurer comes along and it all changes. It’s very annoying but there has obviously been a lot of pressure from the syndicates with sloops,” he said. “It’s all a matter of the interpretation of the rules and for two years we’ve understood that our rigging system complied. "Fortunately, we got wind of the change of heart last week and, in case of a late change, we had a modified system flown in from Auckland. The parts were here by the week-end and we were able to successfully test them yesterday.” Blake said the ketch-rigged Farr yachts had been the focus of considerable attention since their domination of the Fastnet race. "The opposition are certainly taking us seriously because there is a lot at stake in this race.” There are 24 yachts entered, including the allfemale crew on the British entry Maiden. Among that crew are New Zealanders Kristin Harris (25) and Mandi Swan (24). The first leg of the Whitbread race is the 6281 nautical mile voyage to Punta del Este in Uruguay. The leading yachts are expected to arrive in the South American port between October 9 and 16.

The second leg is to Fremantle in Western Australia and the yachts are expected in Auckland at the end of the third leg between January 12 and 16, 1990.